Steele case ready to move forward

LAKE COUNTY &GT;&GT; After several delays, the preliminary hearing for a man accused of shooting at California Highway Patrol (CHP) officers and causing the death of one of his passengers will likely be rescheduled on Friday.

William Edward Steele, 40, made an appearance in court Tuesday morning with his attorney, Patrick Perkin, to tell the court that they had received the majority of discovery requested from the Lake County District Attorney's (DA) Office.

Perkin said in court the information included discovery from the CHP, among other requests. He added the majority of the issues regarding discovery requests had been resolved.

Deputy District Attorney Art Grothe said that any information still outstanding had been requested from the corresponding agencies.

The case, which began in October after Steele was charged, has seen several delays and has not had a preliminary hearing yet. Most of the delays stem from issues regarding Steele's public representation eligibility.

Concerns about limited knowledge about his financial situation and his eligibility to be appointed a lawyer by the court were raised during the first hearings, days after his arraignment. Attorney Stephen Carter was initially appointed, but the court ruled in April Steele was capable of hiring a private attorney.

It has been previously stated in court that the preliminary hearing is expected to take up a full court day and possibly part of a second day.

Steele is charged with the attempted murders of CHP officers Shane Roach and Glen Thomas, as well as the forced detaining of passenger Gavina Delgadillo, according to court documents. Delgadillo was reportedly able to jump out of the vehicle, moments after the shootings, when Steele 's Chevrolet Tahoe slowed down.

Steele faces as many as 17 felony counts and five special allegations, including the murder of Jeremy John, who reportedly jumped out of the vehicle after a second shootout between Steele and the CHP officers. John reportedly hit his head on the pavement and succumbed to his injuries moments later.

The charges date back to Oct. 23 when the CHP officers pulled Steele over for a suspected DUI in the area of Highway 29 and Cruickshank Road in Kelseyville. When the officers approached the car, Steele allegedly shot at them and drove off. He then pulled over again and shot at the officers again as he was driving away, at which point the officers fired back.

DA's Office reported on April 14 that shooting by the CHP officers was justified. Steele awaits further court proceedings in custody at the Lake County Hill Road Correctional Facility.